Details

Date Published

Sept. 14, 2018

CPU Clock Rate

3 GHz

GPU Core Clock Rate

1.556 GHz

GPU Effective Memory Clock Rate

11 GHz

Description

So, this is literally the precursor to the custom loop build that I'm aiming for. Most of the parts are installed in the system (except for the Vega FE which can't be due to it already having a waterblock) and everything is looking really good. Right now, the system is my main rig and used for rendering, streaming, and the occasional game (thanks nVidia for finally fixing issues with your drivers and the 32c/64t behemoth for the most part).

Also, apologies for the potato photos: the follow up to this build should remedy that significantly.

I really wish there was an mITX board for Threadripper. The ASRock X399M Taichi is mATX, and I would say somewhat capable of OCing. The bigger issue is that (1) as a 250W CPU there really isn't that much headroom on the CPU or the VRMs, and (2) my power supply would not enjoy the endeavor.

I'm not sure how much the VRMs could handle. I'd recommend going MSI MEG X399 Creation or Gigabyte's behemoth if you want to really get some current into the CPU, but none of the older boards were built with a 250W CPU in mind unfortunately.

Yeah, it looks like the Gigabyte board didn't really have what I'd call proper heatsinks for the VRMs. My favorite E-ATX motherboard for Threadripper is still the MSI MEG X399 Creation: 16 VRM phases and proper cooling go a long way with respect to overclocking. Also, while I do enjoy Hardware Unboxed, there are some things that they don't exactly do well. Phoronix did a better job (IMHO) of figuring out what the 2990WX does well, and what it doesn't do well. Also, L1T does a pretty bang-up job on their TR reviews as well.

I'm debating putting in two Vega FEs to be honest. The build should end up being 100% AMD by the end of it. Still debating what to design into the pump/res in CAD at the moment. I thought about grabbing a 2080Ti, but until I get firm numbers in-hand then it's just an idea.

If I can get my hands on a second Vega FE, then I'll go that route. Otherwise, it'll just be a single Vega FE as I have the block mounted and ready to go on that card. The other issue is that a second GPU kicks the HDMI capture card out of the build as I only have three PCIe slots which are all populated (GPU, capture card, 10GbE NIC)

I agree, but my wallet completely disagrees...lol. I'm working on remedying that, but let's just say it's a long shot as there are only three slots, and I need all three of them. Adding a second 1080Ti would literally kick out the 10GbE fiber NIC in the bottom ;)

Actually, the have specific SCART cables for PS1 and PS2 with descriptions on what makes them different and scenarios why you would need the different versions. The cables I ordered were specifically CSYNC cables and were known good online for going from the PS[1:2] to the OSSC. Also, My Life in Gaming is soo good. :)

It's a good question. If you're gaming, then you should definitely look at the 2950X as it performs better overall in that department. Gaming has been an issue on the 2990WX, but nVidia fixed most of those issues with the 399.24 release (not all of them, but a good portion). However, outside of gaming, there are real benefits like encoding, rendering, and virtualization which are all things I tend to do here. TL;DR: I can put all 32 cores to great use and see some significant benefits with respect to performance.

Few suggestions: If you are going for a water loop eventually, make sure u get a monoblock for the motherboard that cools the VRM. The heatsink on that motherboard is not good at all and will cause component degradation given u r running a 32 core. I know EK has a monoblock for Taichi x399 motherboards be sure to check them out

I appreciate the advice, but I've checked the VRM temperatures at 100% load on the Taichi X399M. All of the temps are well within operating specs for the MOSFETs. I'm not concerned that the 2990WX is going to toast the mosfets at 250W. If I were overclocking I would probably look for CPU + VRM blocks so I wouldn't have to compromise on CPU cooling to get the VRMs down in temperature.

If you're looking to build a small(er) Threadripper build, then it's by far the best (and only) option. The board's been rock solid for me, but remember: I'm not overclocking the 2990WX, and if I do it will be very, very minor. Hope that helps :)

Thank u very much, it’s because the only threadripper motherboard I have heard of being good was the asus rog zenith one, now I am thinking about wether to get the new threadripper 2990wx or just get a 2700x with an asus x470 mobo and water cooled with the same price

Just remember that the 2990WX isn't a gaming uber-CPU. Yes, you can game on it, but it is definitely geared more towards more "prosumer" tasks like rendering, encoding, etc. Unless you have something that can actually utilize those cores, I'd recommend going with a 2950X. If you can't use 16 cores, then I'd go with the 2700X. It's a great CPU and does many, many things well. It also won't bankrupt you :)

Thanks, appreciate it! The thermals are in check, but there's a bigger issue: there are too few good mATX cases out there. I have a Parvum S2.5 ordered (and still waiting on) and almost all of the parts in this build will go into that case. The benefit is that I got to "stretch" the case as it's custom, and I don't have to worry about the design not having great airflow :)

You could, yes. Right now, the build has changed significantly from this photo as I've changed motherboards (mATX to ATX) and GPUs (GTX 1080Ti to dual Vega FEs). The only issue with an mATX build is that if you have fewer slots to work with for expansion cards.

You'll still need airflow. Building an mATX build with those components is very doable, but I wouldn't recommend this particular case for that project. The tempered glass is too close to the case which restricts airflow to where you'd mount the radiators.

Some of these parts were in a previous build like the motherboard, GPU, RAM, SSDs, monitors, custom cables, audio gear. Some were new like the CPU, CPU cooler, and case. While the outlay for all of it is expensive, the expense has been spread out over time. :)